Spring-shackle link



Feb. 21, 1928.

H. W. BELL SPRING SHACKLE LINK Griginal Filed April 15. 1921 tion between the frame and supporting Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

' HARVEY w. BELL, or msLEY-oN-HUnsoN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE BELOYT CQQPOBATION, OI DELAWARE, A CORPORATION 01" DELAWARE.

BPBING-SHACKLE LINK.

A ueauan'mea April '15, 1921, Serial no. 461,509.. Renewed June a, 1920.

In rior ap lications of mine I have disclose and clalmed certain improvements in spring shackles for vehicles, wherein the re- ,lated parts, such 'as the vehlcle and frame supporting springs are connected by links of flexible material. a

The present invention relates particularly to the construction of those links, the object of the invention being primarily to furnish the link in the form of a unitready for immediate application to thevehicle. v

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, I haveillustrated the invention embodied .in two difl'erent forms, but wouldhave it understood that other modifications .are possible, without departure from the true spirit and scope of theinvent'ion as herein defined and claimed.

Figure 1 in the drawing referredto is a "broken side elevation illustrating an application ofthe link asa suspension connec- 7 spring of a vehicle.

Fi re 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectiona view of the link as taken on substantially the plane of line 2--2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a side-view of the link.

Figure 4 is asectional view similar to Figure 2, illustrating another method of permanently securing the clamping 'plates.v

In Figure 1, a portion of the frame of the vehicle is indicated at 5, one of the sup orting springs is shown at 6, a part of the "nt axle 1s indicated at 7, and one of the suspension links is shown at 8, formln a connection between one end of the spring-and the frame. The upper end of this suspension link is shown as secured by bolts 9 to the angularly upturned end 10 of a bracket aflixed to or forming a part of the end of the spring,

and the lower end of the link is shown as secured by bolts 11 to a 'dependent bracket 12 aflixed'to the frame.

The body .ofthe link i. made i in the p v f rial, so that the links are held by the clamp illustration, of a plurality of layers 13- 0 suitable flexible fabric, such as'rubber impregnated canvas belting or the like, which attaching bolts and insures the links reach- 'clamp plates are permanently secured together by tubular fastenings 15. of boiler tubing or the like, having their ends turned over, as indicated at 16, so as to operate in, efiect as elongated tubular rivets. These .tubular elements, in addition to their function "as permanent fastenings, also provide passages for the attaching bolts 9.

InFigure 4 I have shown how the permanent fastenings and attaching bolts may be combined by providing such bolt's, here deslgnated as 17, with shoulders 18 toengage the clamp plates at one side of the link and headed over as indicated at 19 to engage and rigidly secure the clamp plates at the opposite side" of the link. This construction obviates the necessity for providing separate ing the user with the belts in place, and read tobe directly applied to the parts whic are to be connected.

In applying the permanent fastenings, the 1 clamps are compressed and held in that state while the fastening elements are being secured, the usual practice being to secure said parts in a press'under a pressure of approximately four thousand pounds, and to head over the tubular sleeve or bolt fastenings while the clamps are held under such pressure. This heavy pressure brings the clamp plates into absolute firm engagement at all 'oints of their surface with the link matenecessarywith this invention to m e sure that the attaching bolts are secure and fairly tight, it being unnecessary to apply any special pressure, because of the fact that the: clamps are already set up under suiiicient pressure to properly hold the links for their entire period of use.

What I claim is:

1. A link of the character disclosed comprising a substantially flat strip or strips of material substantially nonsflexible in-its flat plane but freely fiexible' at right angles thereto, independent pairs of clamp plates applied to opposite faces of the strip or strlps at opposite ends of i the same and means for rigidly and permanently securing together each pair of said clamp plates.

2. A link of the character disclosed comprising a substantially flat strip or strips of material substantially non-flexible in its flat plane but freely flexible at right angles thereto, independent airs of clamp plates applied to opposite aces of the strap or strips at opposite ends of the same and means for rigidly andpermanently securing "together each pair of saidclamp plates, and

including at each pair of clamp plates, a pair of tubular members extending through the clamp plates and the interposed material and permanently headed over at their oppo-,

site ends.

3. A link unit for spring suspensions comprising a strip of flexible material and separate clamps rigidly and permanently applied to the opposite ends of the same, said clamps having means for enabling the attachment of the same to the parts to which the linkis to be applied.

4. In a device of the character disclosed, a relatively flexible fabric strip, clamp plates engaged with opposite faces of said strip and means for securing said clamp plates together under heavy pressure and for holding said plates with the entire areas which face the strip, in engagement with the surfaces of the strip.

5. In a device of the character disclosed, a relatively flexible fabric'strip, clamp plates engaged with opposite faces of said strip and means for securing said clam ether under heavy pressure an or holdmg said plates with the entire areas which face the strip, in engagement with the surfaces of the strip, said heavy pressurefastenings being constructed to enable the attachment of the same to a part to which the link is to be applied.

6. In combination, a vehicle supporting spring having an angularly turne end, a link unit comprising a relatively flat flexible fabric strip and separate clamps rigidly and permanently secured to the opposite endsof said strip and means for rigidly securing one end of said link unit to the angularly turned end of said spring. 7 7. A spring shackle link for vehicles comlates toprising a substantially flat strip or strips of material substantially non-flexible in the flat plane but freely flexible at right angles thereto, independent pairs of clamp plates applied to opposite faces of the strip or strips and means permanently securing the clamp plates of each pair together and in fixed rigid holding engagement with the link, said means including through fastenings adapted for direct attachment to a part to which the link is to be applied.

be arlplied.

9. sprin shackle link for vehicles comprising a suistantiall flat strip or strips of material substanti'a ly non-flexible in the" flat plane but freely flexible at right angles thereto, a pair of ngid clamping plates permanentlyisecured under pressure in fixed rigid holding engagement with the link at opposite sides of an end thereof and attaching means cooperating with the clamping plates for attaching the link to the vehicle.

10. A spring shackle link for vehicles comprising a substantially flat stri or strips of material substantially nomflexi Is in the flat plane butfreely flexible at right angles thereto, rigid clamping and reinforcing means permanently clamped under pressure against opposite faces of an end thereof, and means for securing the shackle to a vehicle.

11. The combination with a vehicle frame, of a shackle link comprising a substantially -flat strip or strips of material substantially non-flexible in the flat plane but freely flexible at right angles thereto,"rigid clamping plates at opposite sides of an end of the link, connecting members engagin the clamping plates and holding :them 1111' assembld relation independently of the spring, and means cooperating with the connecting members for securing the shackle to the spring.

12. The combination with a vehicle frame, of 'a shackle link comprising a substantially flat strip or strips of material substantially non-flexible in the flat plane but freely flexible at right angles thereto, rigid clamping plates at opposite sides of an end of the link, connecting members engaging the clamping plates and holding them in assembled relation independently of the spring and means cooperating with the connecting members for securing the shackle to the spring, and

arranged by such cooperation to increase the fielfsure of the clamping plates upon the pressure, said rivets beingshort enou h to terminate within the bounds of the 0 amp- 13. The combination with a vehicle frame, ing plates, connecting members assed of a shackle link comprising a substantially through said rivets for securing the s ackle 15 I 5 flat strip or strips of material substantially to the spring, ,and means cooperating with non-flexible in the flat plane but freely flexthe connecting members for securing the ible at right angles thereto, rigid clamping shackle to the spring and for applying presplates at opposite sides of an end of the sure to the clamping plates. link, tubular rivets extending through the In witness whereof, I have hereunto .set 20 10 clamping plates and headed over to secure my hand this 11 da of April, 1921.

the plates permanently to the links under IKZARVEY W; BELL. 

